Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to a technique for sharing communication parameters.
Description of the Related Art
In order for a communication apparatus to communicate with an access point by radio, the communication apparatus needs to set various communication parameters, such as an encryption method, an encryption key, an authentication method, and an authentication key. An example of a technique for setting such communication parameters is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0208088. In the technique disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0208088, the access point displays a two-dimensional code containing information on the communication parameters. A communication apparatus captures an image of the two-dimensional code displayed on the access point and decodes the two-dimensional code to set the communication parameters.
However, if the two-dimensional code containing information on communication parameters is displayed, as in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0208088, the communication parameters could be acquired by an unintended apparatus. A conceivable method for preventing this from occurring would be for the communication apparatus to display, not a QR Code® containing information on the communication parameters, but information on an encryption key that encrypts the communication parameters in the QR Code®, while a different apparatus that has acquired the encryption key encrypts the communication parameters using the encryption key and provides the communication parameters to the communication apparatus by wireless communication.
In this case, in order that the different communication apparatus can provide the communication parameters to the communication apparatus by wireless communication, the communication apparatus and the different apparatus need to communicate with each other over the same channel. The communication apparatus therefore needs to search for a channel that the different apparatus uses.
This results in a significant time delay to share the communication parameters.